Flight Planning Math for Student Pilots: Wind Triangle, Fuel & Weight-and-Balance
Practise the arithmetic of pilot knowledge tests in a spreadsheet: unit conversions, TAS from IAS, the wind triangle with ASIN and COS, leg times and ETAs, fuel and reserves, weight & balance with an envelope chart and density altitude. Educational exam practice only, not for real flight planning; fictional aircraft data, no FAA/EASA affiliation.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A flight planning math course for student pilots who want to practise the arithmetic of private pilot knowledge tests in a spreadsheet. You convert nautical miles, knots, feet, kilograms, pounds and gallons, estimate true airspeed from indicated airspeed with the 2% per 1,000 ft rule of thumb, solve the wind triangle for wind correction angle, true heading and groundspeed with ASIN and COS, turn legs into times, a running total and ETAs, add taxi, climb and cruise fuel with a day or night VFR reserve, load a fictional four-seat aircraft and check weight and centre of gravity against its envelope, calculate pressure and density altitude for hot and high fields and plot takeoff and landing CG on an envelope chart. Exam practice with fictional aircraft data only, not for real flight planning: use the POH/AFM and approved tools. No affiliation with the FAA or EASA. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Aviation Units: Knots, Nautical Miles, Feet, Pounds and GallonsFree
- True Airspeed from Indicated: the 2 % per 1,000 ft Rule of Thumb Pro
- The Wind Triangle: Wind Correction Angle, Heading and Groundspeed Pro
- Time, Speed & Distance: Leg Times, Cumulative Time and ETAs Pro
- Fuel Burn & Reserve: Phases, Day/Night Reserve and the Margin Pro
- Weight & Balance: Moments, Centre of Gravity and the Envelope Check Pro
- Pressure & Density Altitude: Rules of Thumb for Hot and High Fields Pro
- Flight Log Summary: Takeoff vs Landing CG and the Envelope Chart Pro